What Big Brothers are For
by HannahSakura2010
Summary: What if Eragon and Murtagh were raised together? Murtagh being a protective older brother.


**What if Eragon and Murtagh were raised together instead of apart? I think that Murtagh would be a protective big brother. He risked his life to save Eragon from Gilead when he was imprisoned there, even though Murtagh claims that "no stranger's life is more important than my own." He's the type to be fiercely protective of something he loves, given the chance. And that is where the idea for this fic came from. I hope you enjoy it!  
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Murtagh clutched his little brother's small hand as they dashed through the hallways of the giant castle. Little Eragon was whimpering as Murtagh dragged him mercilessly along.

"Stop it, brother! You're hurting me!" Eragon yelped, much too loudly.

Murtagh whirled around with a finger to his lips. "Shut up, idiot! He'll hear us!" he hissed.

There was a crash from the next corridor along with a drunken scream. "Where the hell are you, you little brats? I swear I'll kill you!" There was another crash as Morzan threw some decoration or another down to the ground in his rage. There was a scraping sound, like steel running over stone. Murtagh gulped. Morzan had his sword on him. He jerked Eragon's hand and continued running down the corridor, desperately trying to escape their father's anger.

Whenever Morzan started drinking, Murtagh had learned to run for cover. He had to drag his brother with him; Eragon was still too young to understand his father's drunken rage. Morzan took his hate out on anyone who was in the vicinity, even his own children. The scar on Murtagh's back was testimony to this fact. The servants had learned to disappear whenever their master had his fits too. This time, however, Morzan had crept up on them before Murtagh had even known that he was intoxicated. Hence their desperate flight now.

Eragon suddenly stumbled, almost bringing Murtagh down with him. Eragon cried out in fear and pain as he saw that his knee was bleeding. The five year old started to cry loudly.

Morzan's stumbling footsteps stopped. "_There you are!_" he snarled. The footsteps started up again, running this time.

Murtagh let out a curse and knelt on the ground. "Era, climb on!" he urged. He glanced over his shoulder and saw his father's shadow approaching the end of the corridor. "Hurry!"

Eragon sniffed, tears still falling, but clambered up onto his elder brother's back. His small hands hooked together under Murtagh's chin as Murtagh stood to his feet. Just as Morzan turned the corner, Murtagh darted off with Eragon clinging to his back. He heard Morzan scream with rage behind him but kept on running. He ran as fast as he could, not heeding Eragon's cries as he focused on getting them out of there. Morzan's drunken curses got fainter and fainter and finally they couldn't hear him anymore.

Murtagh made his way to a servant's door in the side of the castle and finally they were outside. Murtagh breathed in the fresh air gratefully, but didn't stop running until they were well into the trees at the edge of the garden that ran around the perimeter of the castle. The garden was the only source of beauty in this awful hell. However, they could not tarry here today.

Murtagh slowed as they went deeper into the forest. Morzan wouldn't find them in here. He was likely to have already given up the chase and gone off to brood in his drunken state or search for someone else to torture. Hopefully, he wouldn't remember this when he was sober.

The boy on Murtagh's back whimpered. "My knee hurts, brother!" Eragon whined.

"Let me get you to the lake and then we'll take a look at it," Murtagh suggested. Eragon sniffed but buried his face in Murtagh's hair without arguing.

"What was wrong with father? Why was he so angry? Did we do something bad?" Eragon asked after a moment.

Murtagh thought about the answer. "He gets this way sometimes. You know how he is. This isn't anything new." Eragon still refused to believe that their father was a monster.

"I know, but he seemed really, really angry this time," Eragon sniffled. "Are we in trouble?"

"Not anymore," Murtagh replied as they broke through the line of trees into a clearing with a small lake. The older boy knelt on the ground to let his younger brother shimmy off of his back. "Alright, let's see to your knee, Era."

Eragon sat obediently on the ground while Murtagh examined his knee. The wound was only a scratch, but it had bled some. Eragon's knee had a thin covering of dried blood. The younger boy whimpered at the sight of the blood. Murtagh sighed and took off his right shoe and sock. He shoved his shoe back on his foot as he wet the sock with lake water and dabbed at his brother's knee. Eragon winced at first but didn't cry anymore. When all the blood was gone, Murtagh examined the scratch again. It was no longer bleeding. He tossed his bloodied sock to the side and sat back.

"There, all better," he said.

Eragon beamed at him. "Thank you big brother!" he crowed. He started pulling off his own shoes and socks. "Let's play in the lake!"

Murtagh rolled his eyes. Typical. His brother had already forgotten his both his hurt knee and their father. "You go play, Era. I'll watch."

Eragon pouted but ran to the lake after Murtagh had rolled his pants up past his knees. He hoped Eragon wouldn't get wet or ruin his clothes. The lake wasn't all that deep; it was really more like a pond. Eragon would still find some way to get mud all over himself, even if he was only wading and splashing around. Murtagh kept a careful eye on the little one while he allowed himself to relax on the grass.

Their mother was off on some mission. Morzan was usually calmer when she was present. Selena had a calming effect on everyone around her, even her husband. Murtagh was still amazed the at effect that she had on the man, considering their feelings for one another. Even though he was only seven, Murtagh was observant enough to know that Morzan did not care at all for Selena. Selena didn't seem to love Morzan either. Something had changed in her after Eragon was born. She was more distant from Morzan and more protective of her children, especially the younger boy. In fact, she never let Eragon around Morzan if she could help it. Murtagh could not remember a time when Morzan and Eragon had been alone together.

Murtagh let his head rest on his knees as he basked in the brief feeling of peace that came over him. This was their hiding spot, their sanctuary from their father. Here, they could be themselves without fear of inciting their father's wrath. He would never find them here.

As if to contradict his thoughts, Murtagh heard the sound of a distant roar. His hair stood on end. _Dragon._

He was up in a flash and running to the lake. Eragon looked up at him with a smile on his face. "Are you going to play too?"

Murtagh grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the water. "Father has his dragon. He might see us from the air. We have to get in the trees again." Murtagh pulled Eragon along the bank towards the trees, scooping up his discarded shoes on the way. They had just reached the safety of the trees when he heard the massive wing beats in the distance. He pulled Eragon farther into the woods. The younger boy yelped in pain as his bare feet met the rough underbrush. Murtagh sighed in irritation but looked up. He couldn't see much of the sky from their position. He sat down and pulled his younger brother into his lap. Eragon squirmed initially but settled back in his older brother's embrace just as the nameless dragon flew overhead. Murtagh caught flashes of blood red scales through the trees. He fervently wished that his father in his drunken stupor would fall to his death. He wrapped his arms around his brother until the wing beats had dwindled into the far distance. He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

Eragon wiggled in his grip. "Let me up!" he whined. "You're hurting me!"

Murtagh loosened his grip and Eragon popped up. He winced as his tender feet scraped on the forest debris and abruptly sat down in Murtagh's lap again. The older boy let out a rare giggle and helped the younger into his shoes and socks. Once his feet were covered again, Eragon jumped up, completely unfazed by their recent danger.

"Can we go back and visit the gardener? He's always nice! The last time we came, he gave us sweets remember? Can we please, brother? Please?" The child was dancing from foot to foot in excitement.

"Fine, fine! Stop begging." Murtagh stood to his feet and stretched. Eragon reached out and took his hand as they started walking back, the smaller tugging the older boy behind him in his haste to get back.

Murtagh stared at the back of his brother's brown head, tuning out the five-year-old's incessant chatter. The little boy was so innocent. He was helpless against their father's hate. Eragon couldn't defend himself. He needed Murtagh. And Murtagh realized that he needed Eragon as well. He squeezed his brother's hand tighter. He would do anything to protect this small being that depended on him, even if it meant running away from home and learning how to fend for themselves. He would leave even their mother behind if it meant being able to protect Eragon and himself. He silently swore to never let anything separate them; not his father, not his mother, not anyone; not King Galbatorix himself. _That's what big brothers are for,_ he mused. Eragon suddenly turned around and flashed him a bright, innocent smile, and Murtagh felt his cold heart warming up at the sight. This little boy had become the most important thing. _No one's life is as important as my brother's or my own._

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**Completely random **_**Inheritance**_** feels. Seriously, this idea hit me out of nowhere. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! *Goes to reread the **_**Inheritance Series* **_**Writing this made me realize how much I love that series. I'll write more when I get the time and muse.**

**I'll be continuing this story.  
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**Again, please review!**


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